Sporting Shoots 2021. Reports and discussion.

[Will Hewland]

Redricks today. I’ll claim that I wasn’t in top condition due to long haul jet lag. Firstly, credit to Phil Moss for progressing this newish ground. Improved facilities / stands every time I go there. 
 

I think it was 12 very good stands today, although a bit relentless. Personally I would have softened off two or three stands, to make it a course that the mass crowd might appreciate a little more. Joint HG of 90. I hit 80 which included missing 7 on one stand! 

I will definitely be back, to ensure my tour of grounds includes a firm one, but it is a firm one..

 

[Sian]

Redricks for me as well, early doors.   An enjoyable round with the added bonus of shooting with Jane Bennett who I haven’t  seen in a while since she moved so a good catch up.  Saw Bebo as well, good to see you.   On to Northampton which was quite tough and I should have tried harder but it was too warm for me.  

 

[Bebo]

Was good to see you too Sian.  I had a shocker.  Started pretty well and was in reasonable shape to hit my average after the first 7 stands.  The sim pair on Stand 8 destroyed me - hit 3 from 10.  It then got into my head that I needed to not miss many more and resulted in some horrendous hanging on an gun slowing.  Missed the first two pairs on 10, just from being overly careful, started moving the gun freely and destroyed the last two pairs.  Same on 11, hit two of the 70mm targets but missed two measuring the lead and even one of the easier bird I missed behind.  By that stage I was so bad I even started trigger flinching on 12. 

Started the week really well with an 86 at Churchills on Thursday and turned that completely on it's head with a 68 on Sunday.  Bad enough that it will drop off the bottom of my averages.  I really need to stop score watching and just shoot the bloody targets!

 

[donna]

Holland and Holland for us today, 75 for me which I was fairly pleased with then I saw the results and only 8 people shot over 80, highest being 85 and I was 17th overall so felt a bit better. Again 3 stands cost me by being too short, stand 2 was a l-r blaze supposed to be going over a tree but even though I stood as far back in the stand as I could to see it a bit more, it was a struggle. Hit a few but more luck then anything.  Onto the dreaded platform - the barrier is quite high for me and both targets were below your feet so again I was literally on tip toes so I could be comfortable with the gun over the barrier and actually see the targets.  As this was a 10 bird stand I was a bit peed off.  Then stand 11, a midi r-l going behind trees, again it was worse for me being short as it just disappeared but I never saw anyone hit it and we had a few tall lads in the squad.  I love the ground, the facilities and the fact that in the 3 shoots I’ve shot there we’ve shot different parts of the ground which is nice but I just wish they would take into account these silly mistakes which are easily rectified. 

 

[jasper]

Out yesterday for a sneeky midweek registered. First visit to Barby (cadman) sporting for a very long time. Some big improvements have been made with some more in the pipeline. Nice looking cafe which I didn't partake in.  I hope they get the planning as it will catapult this ground into one of the premier facilities anywhere in the country. Really friendly place , everyone happy to have a chat. Really nice airgun range too if that's your thing. So the sporting is shot mainly from within bunding and covered stands . Squaded and it ran really well  . It was a pretty breezy day and red hot too. I didn't fare well on what looks to be a pretty tough shoot. But it was a very enjoyable day with some good targets.  So if you are able to get out midweek I'd give this a go. 50 bird open sportrap comp Saturday and wednsday. Also open for practice on claymate. Check with them for days/times. 

Recommended. 

Jasper. 

 

[jasper]

Shout out to Ian Coleys for their ladies day today. Top stuff. 

Jasper. 

 

[Bebo]

Just had another shocker, this time at Gatton Bottom. Really didn't enjoy the shoot at all today. The usual eyesight tests with edgy orange targets against a yellow stubble background. As well as that they had three targets that were fairly quick with a limited window to shoot them in, just didn't find it fun at all. 

 

[Will Hewland]

Just had another shocker, this time at Gatton Bottom. Really didn't enjoy the shoot at all today. The usual eyesight tests with edgy orange targets against a yellow stubble background. As well as that they had three targets that were fairly quick with a limited window to shoot them in, just didn't find it fun at all. 

I heard a very similar report from others.. I’m not in a hurry to reacquaint myself with the place. 

A very good course at Honesberie today. Stand 1 was pretty easy, then everything after that needed your attention. I was actually very happy with how I was going (finally lost the jet lag from last week). However, got totally poleaxed on stand 12, more than doubling my losses in one go. Just misread them. Finished on 89.

 

[Bebo]

I heard a very similar report from others.. I’m not in a hurry to reacquaint myself with the place. 

Dartford was on today, I should have done that. Horne is convenient for me, particularly as you can just decide to go on the spur of the moment, but I think I'll give it a miss for a few weeks at least.  They did have homemade bread pudding, so at least my husband benefited from me going this time.

 

[Sian]

Gunsite early doors which I enjoyed and then a longer than expected drive to Honesberie for last card at 3pm.  As Will said a good course but I just had nothing to give and did terribly.   Maybe two shoots is too much now.  The drive home was too long as well,

 

[Martinj]

I shot at Gunsite today, it was only my second time there and I must make an effort to get down there more often, It has such a fantastic setting with West Kennet Long barrow and Silbury hill clearly visible on the way out and Avebury just up the road.

It was a warm day, thankfully not too sunny otherwise it would have been roasting, sadly I started off poorly missing three of the second of a sim pair of rabbits, the trend continued throughout, I was just missing a lot of fairly simple birds that I would hit on a good day, conversely I did well on some of the trickier stands. I finished with a straight on stand 12 (nearest the entrance) which included a tricky looper - t'was a nice way to finish. The damage was 17 away, I left thinking I'd like to come back when I was on better form.

BTW, well done Sian for winning Ladies

 

[Sidney Beans]

I heard a very similar report from others.. I’m not in a hurry to reacquaint myself with the place. 

A very good course at Honesberie today. Stand 1 was pretty easy, then everything after that needed your attention. I was actually very happy with how I was going (finally lost the jet lag from last week). However, got totally poleaxed on stand 12, more than doubling my losses in one go. Just misread them. Finished on 89.

Glad I wasn't the only one on Stand 12 today... Straighted 8 stands today & walked on there for a 90... walked off with an 84  but was a funny pair on the eyes. Cleverly set I guess! 

Enjoyed the shoot though. 

 

[Freddypip]

Yes - Stand 12 was a real challenge. The back clay travelling faster resulted in cross-eyed misses.

 

[bisondan]

I had a pretty good weekend behind the gun.

88 at College Saturday morning, 93 was HG and I missed 4 on the last stand sadly, then a pretty tidy 91 at Gunsite yesterday in the nice weather.

Took my little French Bulldog 'Dennis' out both days, his first time out shooting and he absolutely loved it; loads of new smells, met some other doggos, and got a load of fuss made over him.

 

[jasper]

Out yesterday for a sneeky midweek registered. First visit to Barby (cadman) sporting for a very long time. Some big improvements have been made with some more in the pipeline. Nice looking cafe which I didn't partake in.  I hope they get the planning as it will catapult this ground into one of the premier facilities anywhere in the country. Really friendly place , everyone happy to have a chat. Really nice airgun range too if that's your thing. So the sporting is shot mainly from within bunding and covered stands . Squaded and it ran really well  . It was a pretty breezy day and red hot too. I didn't fare well on what looks to be a pretty tough shoot. But it was a very enjoyable day with some good targets.  So if you are able to get out midweek I'd give this a go. 50 bird open sportrap comp Saturday and wednsday. Also open for practice on claymate. Check with them for days/times. 

Recommended. 

Jasper. 

Video up on YouTube of this shoot. Thanks to Ben Wells. (Englishsportingclays) .

Follow the link in the reviews forum .

Jasper. 

 

[Sian]

I shot at Gunsite today, it was only my second time there and I must make an effort to get down there more often, It has such a fantastic setting with West Kennet Long barrow and Silbury hill clearly visible on the way out and Avebury just up the road.

It was a warm day, thankfully not too sunny otherwise it would have been roasting, sadly I started off poorly missing three of the second of a sim pair of rabbits, the trend continued throughout, I was just missing a lot of fairly simple birds that I would hit on a good day, conversely I did well on some of the trickier stands. I finished with a straight on stand 12 (nearest the entrance) which included a tricky looper - t'was a nice way to finish. The damage was 17 away, I left thinking I'd like to come back when I was on better form.

BTW, well done Sian for winning Ladies

Thank you.  There were a few I kicked myself about.  I did well on that stand too

 

[bisondan]

Meadowcroft today, pleasant morning but I didn't shoot very well. 

Bit annoyed that they don't change the targets down there, most of it today was the same as it was last time, most stands had at least one target that was the same, 5 were identical.  

Felt a bit cheated out of £40.

 

[Bebo]

Three shoots this week.

Started with Churchill's on Thursday.  Dropped the first pair on a soft first stand trying to take them early and going in front.  Slowed down, shot them later and hit the rest.  A few daft misses on the next few stands before I started to do a bit better and finally managed to straight a few.  Dropped 3 on the sim drivens at the end (hate sims and driven targets) to finish on 81.

Friday was Kibworth.  Another good day for me.  Was only 3 targets away after 5 stands.  Stand 6 was a report pair of crossers off the tower, springs wound up.  Could have been a card destroyer, but after missing the first pair I managed to hit four of them.  Double decker bus sized lead needed.  Managed to drop 8 over the last three stands I shot, otherwise it would have been an exceptionally good score for me rather than just a good one.  83 for joint lady high gun and joint 3rd in B.

Today was Sporting Targets.  Another good start, straighted 3 of the first 7 stands and only 7 away at that point.  It got a lot tougher for me on the last 6 stands, with a sim pair of left to rights (5 away) and a sim pair of driven to finish (4 away).  Looks like the scores were on the low side with only 1 score over 90 and my 73 was joint 5th in B.

 

[donna]

Barrow for us today, good shoot and we got absolutely soaked through on last few stands, actually got to the ladies and had to wring my T-shirt out!  I took photos of our cards as I usually do but they didn’t come out, maybe due to my wet hands but looking at scores on CPSA weve been downgraded!  Phil though he had 85 and is down as 81, I thought I had 75 down as 73 and I know we followed one person round and on stands we saw him shoot he dropped at least 10 and is scored a lot higher then that .  Must make sure the photos come out properly before I hand the cards in next time.  

We then used up one of our nine lives on way home, some absolute tw*t pulled straight out from the slip road to the fast lane and nearly took us out, how we didn’t go through the central reservation trying to avoid him I don’t know.  It really was one of them “this is it” moments.  Thankfully we avoided him and he drove off totally unaware of the near accident he had caused. 
 

Westfields next week for the 200 birder. Never been there before so looking forward to it.

 

[Martinj]

We went to Court farm yesterday, it was with some trepidation because the weather forecast was bad and I'd seen negative comments about Gatton bottom (the sister shoot) last week.

I think it was still on the firm side (HG was 90) but no trick shooting was required and the rain held off until we had finished around 1m.

I say no trick shots but stand 1 had the usual right to left rabbit followed by a quartering away white clay against a white sky - not the best colour combination but we hit them all.

Moving along to stand 3 this was a FAST R/L crosser followed by an incomer launched from 100yards out in front and dropping 40 yards out on the other side of the hedge, I hit most about 70 yards out before they started to drop, relying on 1/2 choke and FBlues.

About stand 5? was a tricky fast RH quartering away over the hedge followed immediately by a faster midi on the same trajectory, instinctive swing through shooting was the order of the day before they hit the trees or disappeared out of sight.

The corner stand provided a fast, knee high, incoming target heading up hill from the hedge, passing 5 yards to the right followed by a similar target from a different trap further down the hedge.

2 stands up the hill there was a sim pair coming from 30 yards down hill to the left and curling out in front, you couldn't see them until they were against the sky and this cost me 3 clays.

The remaining stands were about par for the course. I thought it was an enjoyable course and left on 88